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Finding True Blessedness
“Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. The LORD blessed him.” Genesis 26:12

We hear much today decrying the health and wealth gospel which claims, in effect, that those who love Christ can expect only abundance and blessings from him. While this is a wrong interpretation of the Bible teaching, there is some grounds for believing this. Most notably: God does bless his people. 

For example, in Genesis 26 we see that God does intentionally bless Isaac, giving him an unusual return on his crop, a hundredfold. Commentators point out that a more normal range of return for a great crop would be twenty-fold or even rarely fifty-fold. So here Isaac receives two to five times more than a good return, which takes this into the fabulous level of return. 

When we take the Bible’s overall teaching about God’s blessing to his children, what do we learn that is true, without falling prey to the health and wealth teaching?


We should always look to and depend upon the Lord to bless our lives and work. We do not live in a mechanistic universe where if we do A and B then C will always follow. Rather we live in a universe which is upheld by God’s power and governed by his providence, so that our outcomes are actually in his hand. One may work with skill and diligence, but without the Lord’s blessing, see little gain. “The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts.” 1 Samuel 2:7 


The Lord will grant sessions of blessing, but he may also send dry seasons, seasons of struggle, where there is little evidence of material blessing. These seasons he determines for his own good ends in our lives. Here the LORD blesses Isaac as the patriarch of the clan to become Israel, in part, to give them a solid material footing in a land of strangers. But God’s people will at other times wander in the desert. The normal Christian life has seasons of plenty and those of want. “I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.” Philippians 4:12 

Great wealth is not reliably a sign of God’s blessing. More money does not necessarily equal more blessing. At times God will allow great wealth in order to lead greedy people to destruction. We have all known very wealthy people who are very miserable. “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” 1Timothy 6:9-10  

Walking with Christ is the blessed life. It is not ultimately our wealth or health that determines our level of blessedness, but our joy in the Lord. We may have little materially, but having peace with God fills and satisfies our soul more than those who have material wealth but spiritual poverty. Blessedness in Jesus is ultimately a spiritual, not a material state. “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.” Psalm 90:14.

What we hope that wealth and health will bring to us is actually this rejoicing and gladness of heart, that only Christ can give. So we look to Christ for any blessing . . . and for this blessedness of heart. “In your presence there is fullness of joy. At your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11

Here is real health and wealth in God’s kingdom, to know, follow, and serve Christ. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9

This is the spiritual wealth that Christ always delights to give us. It is his blessing alone that grants us the full joy we so much desire to know! “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15:11 

Lord, let me always seek the blessed life of joy with you and from your hand!